Packaging

Smart Packages – With Built-in Freshness Watchdogs

The latest packages are not only stronger but also require less material and permit efficient handling – integrated time-temperature indicators and microchips constantly indicate the product’s state of quality. Active systems are even capable of improving the quality of the contents during storage. For product manufacturers, smart packaging therefore ought to be a big talking point.

When it comes to “Güggeli”, their much- loved grilled chicken, the Swiss are not willing to make any compromises. Unless the chickens are reared in humane conditions, subjected to regular health checks and are absolutely fresh, they don’t make it to the table. The Ernst Kneuss Geflügel poultry company in Switzerland has therefore come up with something original for the fastidious Swiss. On the cardboard of its Contributing to better health, the MediFalter from Körber makes use of an integrated calendar “Bachofe-Güggeli” grilling chickens, the and day/night symbols to aid the punctual taking of medicine and prevents contamination company prints an OnVu , a time- by strictly separating the various medicines. (Photo: Körber) temperature indicator, that accompanies the chickens on their journey to the shops. consumer knows that it’s better not to its lead. “We’re negotiating with fast- A special pigmented ink in the interior of eat the chicken. and retail chains worldwide,” says an apple symbol is irradiated with UV Martin Angehrn, in charge of OnVu at light during packaging and turns blue. “By enabling our customers to check the BASF. In 2008, the German chemical From then on, the color gradually fades freshness and quality of our products, corporation purchased the Swiss paint in relation to time and temperature. The our underline our quality specialist Ciba that had developed the longer a “Güggeli” is stored in a warm philosophy,” explains Kneuss CEO indicator together with the German place, the faster the color changes. When Daniel Kneuss. The poultry producer manufacturer Bizerba. the color in the apple becomes paler than introduced the OnVu label in 2008, and the surrounding reference color, the other companies now aim to follow “Best before” date not enough

To assure customers of absolute product safety, the entire logistics chain has to be monitored from production through to the consumer. This applies particularly to perishable and to pharmaceutical products. Experience has shown repeatedly that spoilt foods and medicines pose a huge risk. So far consumers had only had the “best before” date to go by, a date that indicates how long a product can be used without loss of quality if correctly stored. The problem is that in the event of breaks in the cooling chain or of moisture penetration, the product spoils prematurely and may put the consumer’s health at risk. On the other hand, foods are often still fresh beyond the “best before” date, but are Freshness watchdog: the sticker from To-Genkyo in Japan changes its color, the more ammonia thrown away for safety’s sake – an is released by the meat. If the meat is no longer fit for consumption, the bottom part of the unnecessary waste of resources. Time- hourglass turns grey. (Photo: To-Genkyo) temperature indicators show the precise

36 food Marketing & Technology · February 2011 Packaging

degree of freshness and can prevent waste. “They thus also contribute to sustainability,” says Angehrn.

Because more and more consumers are attaching importance to healthy and green products with added value, experts anticipate strong growth in the smart packaging market. The US market researcher MarketsandMarkets expects global turnover with smart packages to grow by 8.2 per cent annually to around USD 24,000 million from 2010 to 2015. Analysts see not only color labels on the advance, but also radio frequency identification technology (RFID). Via sensors, microchips integrated in the packages constantly gather data on the product’s condition such as moisture and temperature and issue an alarm when the With its Smart Wallet, Bosch has found a way of producing complex folding packs for values move outside the programmed medicines quickly and inexpensively. The pharmaceutical industry is already showing great upper and lower limits. Or there are chips interest. (Photo: Bosch) that help patients take medicines in the correct dosage and punctually, emitting working on the commercialisation foremost event in the packaging industry, an audible signal indicating when it’s of printable organic electronics. “communicative” packaging will also be time to take the medicine. However, the “Inexpensive, thin, flexible electronics, high on the agenda. microprocessors are capable of more: fed which, attached to flexible with such data as the filling location or substrates, can be easily integrated Freshness straight from the pack date of manufacture, their products can into packaging, will soon be a familiar be continuously traced – an important feature in the retail industry,” says OE-A Packages of the future are expected to feature in the battle against piracy. Chairman Wolfgang Mildner. With have even more functions: they will RFID, large volumes of information interact with their contents, eliminate Industry sees huge potential in chips and on goods can be retrieved or uploaded harmful oxygen and microbes and is eagerly pursuing their development. in a flash. The technology thus stands thus improve the product’s keeping The Organic Electronics Association for a guarantee of authenticity and properties and quality. In Japan, oxygen- (OE-A), a work group at the German for distribution security. At interpack absorbing have been in use for Engineering Federation (VDMA), is from 12 to 18 May 2011, the world’s years to help vegetables and fish stay fresh for longer. However, Europeans and Americans are not so willing to accept the conspicuous packaging elements bearing the words “Do not eat”. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) in Freising have therefore developed more elegant preservation solutions. “We integrate oxygen absorbers like iron in the package’s polymer matrix,” says IVV materials developer Sven Sängerlaub. Oxygen-sensitive beverages like beer and fruit juices stay drinkable for longer in PET processed in this way, he adds. The IVV also offers industry an antimicrobial film that releases sorbic acid onto the surface of the food, the prime point of attack for contamination, and thus preserves it. Product manufacturers can gain a detailed impression of the IVV’s innovations at interpack.

Unassuming brain: before their use in packages, microchips are treated with chemicals in a Critics now argue that the extra chemicals clean room laboratory. (Photo: BASF) in impair the product’s

food Marketing & Technology · February 2011 37 Packaging

High-tech equipment: multifunctional wallet packs are the trend. Some machine manufacturers already offer the matching production equipment. (Photo: Körber)

“naturalness”. “Only harmless odor- and Mildner. The Hamburg plastics specialist capital expenditure than conventional flavor-neutral substances are employed Albis Plastic, for instance, is offering wallet packaging ,” explains for food protection,” Sängerlaub packaging material producers what it Bosch Product Manager Helmut counters. Furthermore, antimicrobial claims to be a “highly efficient” iron- Deichert. The key to the efficiency of the substances like sorbic acid are capable of based oxygen absorber by the name Smart Wallet can be found in its pre-

rendering preservatives in the product of “Shelfplus O2” that is added to the glued outer which is placed upright on superfluous. “This in fact promotes a natural polymer in quantities suitable a conventional cartoning machine and healthy life-style.” The scientist sees for the food and type of package. The filled with a transparent blisterpack for a bigger problem in the high cost of Austrian can manufacturer Pirlo, on tablets. Depending on the machine type, launching new packaging solutions the other hand, conceals a silica gel up to 300 wallets can be produced per on the market. Industry would have pad in a perforated plastic insert in minute, according to Deichert. to modernise its packaging lines and the of its new steel “DryCan” for exhaustively test its new packages. coffee and tea. “By regulating humidity, Producing complex packages swiftly – “This hampers the step from the this new packaging element prevents this is something that machines from laboratory to mass production,” says the formation of lumps in powdered Körber in Germany, IMA in Italy and Sängerlaub. products,” explains Pirlo Managing Pago in Switzerland are also capable Director Julius Lüthi. of. The latter manufactures RFID- Machine manufacturers equip compatible labelling machines that themselves Innovation in smart packages is also attach microchips to the products not flat proceeding apace. The German Bosch but as projecting flags. This way, there Packaging specialists and their suppliers Group’s “Smart Wallet” is a secondary is no interference of the radio signal are nevertheless speculating on powerful package for capsule or tablet type where liquids and metal packages are growth in industry demand for “smart medicines that can be additionally involved. The companies’ innovations packs” – and are investing in the extension equipped with a microchip. The Bosch demonstrate that smart and active of their product portfolios.“Although wallet gains its name not only from the packages have long ceased to be just a new products and campaigns call for possibility of integrating intelligence, bold vision. At interpack in Düsseldorf high investment, growing consumer but also because production is said to from 12 to 18 May, packaging specialists demand for goods with added value be particularly easy and inexpensive. and product manufacturers can gain promise companies economic benefits “The plant for producing Smart Wallets their own impressions live. in the long term,” says OE-A Chairman has a smaller footprint and requires less Key No. 75175

38 food Marketing & Technology · February 2011